SPOILER ALERT! This is a full episode recap, so if you want to avoid spoilers, please watch the episode first!
Razer returns to the Interceptor… without Aya. Initially Hal accuses Razer of being responsible for her death which causes Razer to flare with red angry energy, indicating that he probably blames himself. Sayd, not helpfully, seems to think it’s for the best, since Aya evolved beyond being a simple artificial intelligence. Kilowog, in an effort to get his mind off their present situation, orders Razer to run diagnostics on the engine room.
Zilius Zox contacts Bleez back on Ysmault, furious over his current condition and orders her to unleash the “big guns.” In a desperate move, Sayd orders Hal to stop the ship and accompany her outside the ship.
Once outside, Sayd reveals that she has learned to access abilities that the Guardians cast aside eons ago and shuts down the Manhunter army. The Anti-Monitor confronts her and the two face off… and the Anti-Monitor kills Sayd! (While Hal floats worthlessly nearby. Just sayin’.)
The Anti-Monitor then traps Hal in a force field and makes him watch as he disintegrates the Interceptor and everyone inside! He is interrupted however by blasts of red energy, as Zox’s “big guns” arrive, as the Red Lanterns fortress, Shard, appears, blasting away. Though it buys Hal and the others time, the Anti-Monitor quickly recovers and begins disintegrating/consuming Shard. Zox must order his Red Lanterns to evacuate the structure. As the Anti-Monitor devours Shard, Hal and the others head toward Ysmault. Razer seems to have given up on life, but Hal tries to give him a pep talk, saying that Aya would want him to go on. Suddenly, something tries to enter the ship. Hal, Kilowog and Razer investigate and find… Aya! Well, kind of. Aya uploaded her programming into Manhunter scraps and attempted to follow the Interceptor as best she could.
Aya rebuilds her former self, but Razer quickly realizes that her “personality” did not make the transfer and that she is an emotionless shell of who she formerly was. He informs her that he does not love her and Aya attempts to process this information.
The heroes arrive at Ysmault and Zox heads for his flagship. Meanwhile, Aya tells Hal that Razer doesn’t love her, despite his previous confession. She states that she is in “pain” over this realization. Hal tells her to put this on hold, as the Anti-Monitor and his back-in-action Manhunters are approaching.
The two forces collide, but Aya is too distracted. Razer tells her to focus on the task at hand and shut down everything else. Something happens to Aya and she leaves the bridge.
Things are going badly, as the Anti-Monitor takes out two Red Lantern ships and nearly destroys the Interceptor. Inside, Aya approaches the power battery that fuels the Interceptor and… siphons off all of its energy! The ship comes to a halt mid-battle! She, glowing with energy, then goes to defeat the Anti-Monitor solo.
First she hurls a Red Lantern ship at the villain, causing Kilowog to mutter that she knows what she’s doing, but doesn’t care. She then plows into the Anti-Monitor’s chest, causing him to explode while the Manhunters go off-line.
Something has gone wrong, however as Aya’s energy switches from green to anti-matter blue and she uses the Anti-Monitor’s hand to engulf the Interceptor in a force field. She informs Hal, Kilowog and Razer that she functions without emotion now that she is the new queen of the Manhunters, whom she defends by explaining that they only did as they were ordered. She then emits an anti-matter pulse and awakens them, before “rejecting” the emotion-based heroes, whom she blasts with energy and sends them flying!
Yikes! I wanted Aya back… but not like this! This is definitely an unexpected twist! The big baddie, the Anti-Monitor was wiped out pretty quickly only to have one of our heroes take his place! I really hope Razer and the others are able to pull Aya back to the good side!
What do you think will happen next? Will Aya be saved? Will she and Razer connect again? Leave a comment below!
